Thousands of free meals and water will be given away, and cellphone charging stations, legal help and entertainment services are being made available, at several South Florida locations into the weekend as communities recover from Hurricane Irma.
Food
Miami-Dade County Public Schools will be distributing hot food on Friday beginning at 11 a.m. The food will be distributed at the following locations:
- Miami Senior High: 2450 SW 1st St Miami, FL 33135
- Booker T. Washington Senior High: 1200 NW 6th Ave Miami, FL 33136
- Miami Carol City Senior High: 3301 Miami Gardens Drive Miami Gardens, FL 33056
- Liberty City Elementary: 1855 NW 71st St Miami, FL 33147
- Homestead Senior High: 2351 SW 12th Ave Homestead, FL 33034
- South Hialeah Elementary: 265 East 5th St Hialeah, FL 33010
- E.W.F. Stirrup Elementary: 330 NW 97th Ave Miami, FL 33172
- Hialeah Middle: 6027 East 7th Ave Hialeah, FL 33013
- West Miami Middle: 7525 SW 24th St Miami, FL 33155
- Feinberg/Fisher K-8 Center: 1420 Washington Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33139
- Robert Morgan Educational Center: 18180 SW 122nd Ave Miami, FL 33177
Broward County Schools will partner with the United Way to hand our lunches to students and their familes from noon to 3 p.m. at the following schools:
- Boyd Anderson High School
- Crystal Lake Middle School
- Deerfield Beach High School
- Hallandale High School
- Miramar High School
- South Broward High School
- Sunrise Middle School
- Walker Elementary School
The City of Miami Gardens will also be providing 400 free meals for residents on Friday at 2 p.m. at Holy Family Episcopal Church at 18501 Northwest 7th Avenue.
Local
A free picnic is being held at Regatta Park at (2699 SW 27th Ave, Miami, FL 33133) next to Miami City Hall in Coconut Grove. Starting at 4 p.m. Friday, burgers, hot dogs, chicken, pork sandwiches and drinks will be served to the public. Donations will also be collected for hurricane relief.
Some 1,500 free meals will be served from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at the Sounds of Little Haiti event at 212 NE 59th Terrace, Miami. Organizers say they need volunteers to help clean before and after the event. Call 1-305-735-1127 for more information.
The Salvation Army canteen at the Y will provide up to 500 lunches to the public from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday at Greater Hollywood YMCA (3161 Taft Street, Hollywood, FL 33021) and Pembroke Pines YMCA (501 SW 172nd Avenue, Pembroke Pines, FL 33029).
Water
Broward County officials will be distributing water at six locations, with a limit of one case of water per vehicle. Pickup times may change depending on the supply of water. Residents can pick up water at the following locations and times:
- C.B. Smith Regional Park at 900 N. Flamingo Road in Pembroke Pines from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Howard C. Forman Human Services Campus at 851 Poinciana Drive in Pembroke Pines from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- McTyre Park at 3501 SW 56th Ave. in West Park from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Patrick Meli Park at 2901 SW 52nd Street in Dania Beach from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Central Broward Regional Park and Stadium at 3700 NW 11th Place in Lauderhill from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Quiet Waters Park at 401 S. Powerline Road in Deerfield Beach from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cellphone Recharge
A string of Miami Beach businesses along Ocean Drive are providing residents free ice and water, along with power outlets where they can recharge their cellphones. The "Chill and Charge" event, as the businesses call it, will be open from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at participating restaurants including Finnegan's Way, Havana 1957, the Carlyle Hotel, Clevelander Sports Bar, Ocean’s Ten, Mango’s Tropical Café, Caffe Milano, the Pelican Café, Larios on the Beach, the News Café, Wet Willies and TGI Fridays. People will be required to provide ID showing they are residents of Miami Beach.
Duracell will be providing free batteries and a cellphone charging station in the Miami area. The company's PowerForward team was in Miami Beach Thursday night. They're providing location updates on Twitter.
AT&T invites anyone who needs to recharge their cellphone to do so at any of their company owned stores. And it's also sending two mobile charging stations to Miami — one to be used only by seniors of the Robert King Towers at 1405 NW 7th Street and another open to the public at Miami-Dade College Gibson Education Center in Coconut Grove. The company says it will also be giving away 100 prepaid devices with service to evacuees, after giving away 300 a day earlier. It also has a Wi-Fi hotspot for evacuees staying at the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition Center.
Entertainment
If you're looking for entertainment for the family in an air-conditioned place, the Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre (280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, FL 33134) will be showing free PG-rated family movies from noon to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Cool off and check out some art at the Coral Gables Museum, which is offering free admission to the public from noon to 6 p.m. Friday.
Legal Help
A hotline for free legal assistance has been set up for victims of Hurricane Irma in Florida.The Florida Bar says people can leave a message at 1-866-550-2929 and calls will be returned within two business days between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Callers can get help with securing FEMA and other benefits, making insurance claims, dealing with home repair contractors, replacing legal documents and more. However, there are some limitations. Click here for more information.
Health and Fitness
YMCA locations in South Florida will be opening their doors to the community, offering showers, gym access and air-conditioned spaces through Sunday, Sept. 17. Visit ymcasouthflorida.org for the schedule at the following participating locations:
- Greater Hollywood YMCA (with an open pool) at 3161 Taft Street, Hollywood, FL 33021
- Pembroke Pines YMCA at 501 SW 172nd Avenue, Pembroke Pines, FL 33029
- South Dade YMCA at 9355 SW 134th Street, Miami, FL 33176
- North Pointe YMCA at 7351 NW 186th St, Hialeah, FL 33015
- Village of Allapattah YMCA at 2370 NW 17th Ave, Miami, FL 33142
Planet Fitness is opening its doors to Miami-area residents affected by the hurricane to use their facilities for free until further notice. There is no membership required, and people are welcome to use their showers. Check here for locations.
Transportation
The city of Coral Gables and Lyft are partnering to offer free rides to residents 24 hours a day through Sunday, with the possibility that the service may be extended.The city says anyone requesting a ride must have a storm-related reason, such as picking up food or water or reaching a friend or relative. To make a request, call 1-305-460-5401.
